Neurocare team steps up for pandemic response

13 May 2020

In March 2020, the Australian Government announced a refresher program for registered nurses. The program was established to ensure Australia had a health care workforce with the depth and capacity to respond to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government provided up to $2.5 million to the Australian College of Nursing to support an online refresher course with up-to-date information about acute nursing care, including latest evidence-based guidelines on COVID-19 infection control.

In response to the program announcement, and with the possibility of our nurses being called upon to provide support in the tertiary health care environment, members of our Neurocare team undertook online education to refresh their clinical skills.

Congratulations to our nurses who have completed the refresher course:

Stephanie Emmett (Albany-based),

Dianne Hull (Perth metro and Wheatbelt-based),

Carolyn Ingvarson (Geraldton-based),

Wendy McDonald (Bunbury-based), and

Kiera Perrin (Perth metro-based).

We also have several nurses who are completing the course or are on the waiting list to start the course.

The refresher course has provided our nurses with an overview of the contemporary requirements of a clinical nurse, with a focus on current infection prevention and control in the post-COVID world.

The online education program is part of the Australian Government’s $2.4 billion health package aimed at protecting all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions and Indigenous communities, from COVID-19.